Engulfed by Ice

Small white flakes drifted around her as if there was no care in the world. She closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the icy chill that crept up her body, attempting to consume all her senses and possibly clam up from the relentless clutches. A small smile crept onto her mouth and she swirled, her feet precariously landing so she could possibly stumble at any moment. Her arms were splayed out in attempt to stay straight and her chin tilted up so her face was staring into the sky. Fortunately, she stopped after a brief moment and took a second to regain her balance. It seeped back into her body slowly until her brain and coordination was not distorted anymore. A small puff of air escaped her plump lips and it turned into a grey, opaque mist. Her chocolate eyes were revealed once more and they danced with amusement and perhaps a childish fascination. She was not allowed the chance to be so carefree often and she was reminded of the little flurries that floated to the ground, covering the ground with a white coating. Her feet had trampled it, causing her to disturb the soft, smooth beauty of it. She bit her bottom lip unconsciously, dragging the toe of her shoe through the indention carefully. She was abruptly brought out of her trance at a smell that drifted her nostrils. She glanced up, her head swinging around curiously. It smelled like... animals? She was not completely sure, but then a thought hit her. She had heard little murmurs here and there about Shifters, like her, and a family full of a wide variety of them. She wondered that this might, possibly, be the source of such talk. Her sensitive nose had been able to detect it and she realized it must be a border. With this new piece of information, she began to creep closer to the source, tediously moving and breathing in with ever few steps. The scent began to get stronger and soon it was overpowering at a specific spot. She looked around cautiously, her eyes now narrowed. Would she be attacked for being this close? A silly idea formed in her mind but she attempted to shake it out immediately. What if I ask to join? She thought it was foolish, but it began to attach itself in her brain as if begging for attention. She took one more step forward until she was less than a foot away from the freshest marker.

Did she want her life to change? Of course, she could be rejected in mere seconds. The tall female could be thrown out, shunned, possibly killed. Or, at least, she assumed that was what might happen. She was not sure how this pack operated and she was careful. Sheepishly, her voice escaped her in something a little louder that a whisper. "Excuse me?" She almost flinched from the sound, surprised how it disrupted the serenity of silence. She was slightly tempted to speak once more, but hesitated. Her brown orbs scanned her surroundings and she spun around, the feeling of being watched causing goosebumps to form on her arms. It could easily be her imagination, but she still wanted to be mindful. She took a deep breath, drawing in the frigid air so it made a sharp, cold spike run down her spine. She had only gone on a walk because there was nothing better to do. She typically only had night shifts at her job and was given the rest of the day to do whatever she pleased. Typically, she spent the time reading or attempting to find something productive, but this time she had given up and decided to go on a walk. She held her breath, wondering what was going to happen to her. Had she made a bad decision by staying in the same place for too long. Nervously, she dragged her right foot through the snow and stomped it lightly. She assessed all the possibly escape routes around her, attempting to focus. She had learned these things. Focus! Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head in disbelief. She was not going to be killed. Forced away, possibly, but not killed. She slumped her shoulders in hopes that she would relax and her eyelids fluttered open. What was she even doing? She couldn't show fear; especially if she wanted to be... accepted? Usually, she never had such childish thoughts of confliction, but it seemed all she could do was hope the struggle was going to be over quite soon.

Niko was roaming the forest, his head bent low and tail curled out behind him. Winter was his favourite season. His fur protected him well from the harsh cold and he enjoyed taking walks in the snow to build up his stamina and endurance. It was also a way to get warm because his fur was not as thick as it could be. The Shifter was in his primal form, a Persian leopard. It was a creature of pure power and speed with a muscled, lithe frame and powerful legs with massive paws. With a pelt of light tawny brown and white. Outwardly, he appeared nonchalant and relaxed but his ears were alert, his eyes darting this way and that as his ears took in each sound that came his way and relegated it as something normal or out of the ordinary. Frequently, he would sniff the air to see if there were any unfamiliar or strange smells that weren’t supposed to be in the area. He paused, whiskers quivering and turned his head in the direction of the smell. His bright eyes grew vibrant, brimming with life and curiosity. His rounded ears seemed to flick, shaking in place. Just a stray animal or someone of their kin? It smelt like one of their own, that unique blend of human and animal. Nevertheless, he should see to it as it was one of his primary tasks. Niko quickened his pace, moving with natural grace and swiftness in the direction of the smell. He made no noise, his paw pads light and fast as his legs launched him through the air with an unnatural ease that was uncannily beyond even a leopard’s natural grace. As he approached, he could see that it was a human at the borders. A Shifter in human form or a human? Well only one way to find out. He poured on speed, a short burst until he’d gotten closer and closer and slowed down again. She appeared nervous. His rounded ears quivered as he heard her whisper, audible to his ears as if she expected someone or something to leap out at her from the shadows and swallow her whole. As she nervously stomped her foot and dragged it through the snow, Niko could see that she was thinking. Of escape routes? Probably. He’d done the same thing, discretely so as not to attract attention. It was the last thing he wanted when he was trying to run for it. As she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head in disbelief he sniffed the air again, nose twitching. Yeah, she was a Shifter.

He did not want to startle her so he came out as silently as he could so that he was standing in front of her. First came his furry, light tawny brown head, followed by the rest of his muscled, lithe body in one smooth motion until he was standing before her his head straightened. He watched the other before him, his lips seeming to be in a perpetual smile. Friendly. But that was how it was as a leopard. He looked like he was smiling even if he wouldn’t have actually been smiling in his human form. A smile was supposed to show happiness no? Or friendliness. It was a face Niko wore well. It suited his human features. And he meant it as he did enjoy meeting other people, no matter what they were. Whether he would become good friends with them was out of his control as he could not know what another person liked or disliked based on how they looked or what race they were. Similarly, he could not know what an individual’s personality was like because personalities were complex things. It took a lot of time to get to really know a person, to see if their interests matched but usually, he could get along. He could not force someone to like him but he could be cordial and curt with them and sincere, honest with them. The same thing applied to the other person as well. They could not force him to like them. But Niko usually got along with them and he could be a friend at the least. And she seemed as if she would be friendly, once she was less nervous. As it was, he was curious and more than happy to greet the newcomer, to make her feel more comfortable because he knew what it was like to be constantly on the look-out for danger coming from even the slightest of noises. To be persecuted and hunted, to be among those who would rather see you killed than alive just for being yourself. And when you were all alone, you only had yourself to rely on and that could make anyone paranoid about anything that would have otherwise been harmless. A knock on the door. Tapping noises outside your window. Hurried footsteps nearby. The rustling of leaves. Even the guy on the bicycle passing by. But as it was, safety was paramount. His intelligent amber eyes, warm and open, were skating over her carving her general appearance and details to memory. Additionally, he was also looking for signs of any weapons hidden in her clothes. It wasn’t something he enjoyed doing but he had to protect his kin and his home. He could not take any risks and hopefully, she was exactly as she seemed. Just a lost Shifter looking for a home. Like everyone else who had come here. He opened his jaws in what he hoped was a smile. It was a smile full of pearly white, razor sharp teeth but still a smile nevertheless. First he would ask her what she was doing here. His voice was friendly, transmitted towards her as growls but she would understand them as words as she was a Shifter,“Hey there. Are you alright? You seem lost. This is the border for the land of the Shifters.”

And so she waited. Only mere moments, but it seemed like an eternity or something close to it. Time seemed to slow down, everything taking the opportunity to act like it was reacting slower than usual. The snow flakes seemed to practically stop to watch her, like taunting her stupidity to even stand in the same spot, as if she actually had a chance. Her eyes narrowed just slightly at her pessimistic thoughts. Why was she so convinced that something bad was going to happen? Almost never did she think so badly of situations, but perhaps it was the anxiety she was feeling. A small grunt escaped her as she attempted to calm herself once more. She had nothing to fear. She could hold her own. She had the ability to fight for her life if it required so. Unconsciously, her hand strayed to her right thigh and lightly touched it, still glancing around to search for anything that might give her a hint as to what was going to happen. When she turned back to face in front of her, she stumbled back in a brief moment of bewilderment and slight fear. Standing before her was a Persian leopard, she assumed. She had only seen them once in person at a zoo, but she despised the place so greatly that she had to leave before she did anything foolish because of her indignant feeling for the animals. Her brown eyes were wide as they grazed the pelt of the creature before her. It was a combination of a tawny brown and white, its fur thick. It concealed strong, powerful muscles below it and she knew this feline was more than capable of ending her life. Though she still had terror coursing through her veins, she stood a little straighter, taking a deep breath and moving her foot forward, closer to the animal. She was afraid, yes, this was true. However, what would anyone ever want with someone so alarmed over just the mere sight of a predator? She noticed the look on his maw was that of a smile, she guessed, and the corner of her lips twitched just slightly, though it was involuntarily. She tilted her head at him and, with a look of determination, moved forward once more. In her primal form, she was a strong black horse with enough weight to crush most. But what could she do against claws? She noticed a flash of friendliness in his hazel eyes and she felt her body relax, though only slightly. She was putting all her faith into the hope that he would not attack her. She would fight back in she had to, but she was not positive that it would not be in vain.

His grin was most likely meant to be reassuring, though the deadly, gleaming teeth that were exposed made her cough, surprised though with slight amusement at the attempt. She let out a few more, minimal coughs in a decrescendo, and quickly stopped. She had covered her mouth with her shoulder, but removed it when he spoke. Except, surprisingly, he hadn't spoke, but had let out a series of growls that she could understand immediately. She knew the way of Shifters, but had never met a large cat like this male. She drew in a breath that she attempted to rid of an uneasiness and spoke, her chest puffed out just slightly to give her confidence. "I am not lost, no..." So all the talk of a Regina controlling these lands was true. "I am Anivea. Anivea Caverly," she added quickly, hoping it did not seem as though she were stumbling over her words. Her personality was no where near how she was acting at the moment and it caused some annoyance at herself to blossom within her. Lightly, her thumb brushed against her right thigh as she stared at him with sparkling brown orbs. How could she properly introduce herself? So much doubt within her only fueled her anger that was directed to herself and she bit her lip, watching him. The way his tail moved with the wind, his erect ears, and his still body made her tap her index finger anxiously. What was her true purpose of standing there. "I think, um, I'm here to see if... you Shifters could recruit someone new." Every bone in her body screamed at her to toughen up like her normal self and she raised her head, hoping to give off the appearance that she was capable. Would she have to shift? She glanced around, looking for any sign of any other being that might be watching them, but saw none. Supposedly, it wouldn't matter if she allowed her body to change into her true form. During this period of thoughts that ran disorderly though her mind, she barely even noticed that the dread she experienced when first seeing him had vanished. She searched his body cautiously, searching for a tense muscle or an extended claw that would tell her if he was ready to pounce at her and take her life. She doubted it, for he would have already done it when he saw her. Unless, of course, he was armed with the tactic of getting close with someone and then doing it. She let out a soft laugh. She must have been going crazy if she thought that day was going to be her last.

He watched her, his tail swaying slightly as he waited to see what she would say or do. Raising his paw, he started to take another step closer until she finally did turn around though stumbling as she did so. His eyes shone even brighter, seeming to laugh but not unkindly. He was not dangerous by nature really but of course, if he was provoked then his instincts could take over and he may end up taking a hand out of anger. But it was unlikely that it would happen as Niko had enough self-control and a generally calm temperament. It was not so easy to make him snap. And he did not want to take a life of one of his own kind when she had done nothing to warrant death. Though that made him wonder if her Shifter form was something that a leopard would naturally be hunting or if her motion had been a side effect of her nerves from being in a new place all alone. Niko lowered his fore-paw to the snowy ground, his eyes never leaving her as she moved closer. She was scared. That usually meant someone didn’t mean any harm. Someone who was scared usually didn’t end up having wanted to hurt another person. And she had been nervous before. Niko tilted his head slightly at her as she did, noticing her lips twitching. The beginnings of a smile? Well that was promising. And she seemed more determined and visibly relaxed even if it was only slight. Niko would not attack her. There was no reason not to anyway since she wasn’t doing anything to harm him or showed any signs of wanting to do so for the rest of the clan. She would have to trust that he wouldn’t hurt her just as he would have to trust she wouldn’t hurt him. As she puffed out her chest to appear confident, Niko let out a rasping slight chuckle that sounded like a combination of a snort and a slight hiss in his leopard form. He was glad. He straightened his head, listening to her speak.

So she was here to join them and it seemed genuine considering that she didn’t have anything on her person. Well that he could see. He padded around her getting closer and closer, eyes straying over her back, legs and arms checking for bumps in her clothing. His sensitive nose sniffed the crisp winter air once more. Nothing out of the ordinary. Coming around so that he was facing her once more, while keeping a respectable distance from her so he would not be invading her space, he dipped his head towards her in a friendly, welcoming gesture.“It is a pleasure to meet you Anivea Caverly. I am the guardian of the clan, Epror Niko.” She was glancing around, probably for other people that were around. His tail swept the ground idly as he gave her time to respond and see that there were no other people around to hurt her, brushing the snow in swishing motions noisily. He had no real way to gauge if she was capable but she had made it all the way here and was asking for acceptance. Which meant she had gone through a substantial amount of trouble in finding the borders at the very least of the clan. The will-power was evidently there even if she had some doubt but she was apparently not letting it get to her. It was a trait that Niko found necessary. There really was no time for doubt when you had to concentrate on survival or just getting by. Or being faced with the prospect of not being good enough or capable enough. Just faith and hope coupled with good reason and common sense. As she raised her head, Niko scuffed the ground in front of him with a forepaw to dig into the snow and reveal several blue-berries that were buried in the snow. He did not mind when she took another glance at him, searching him for what he guessed were signs that he would attack. He would have done the same thing. He pushed the blue-berries towards her feet with a snow-frosted paw as a sign of goodwill from him, looking at her in surprise as he heard her laugh softly. He couldn’t really tell what kind of laugh that was but it wasn’t a nervous one which was good. And he found it strange how enjoyable the sound was to his ears.

Perhaps it was because he had been wandering around by his lonesome for hours on end now so he had been accustomed to hearing the sound of fresh snow falling and running off in clumps from the leaves, the chittering and scurrying of squirrels on tree branches and the sound of the feet of snow hares thumping against the ground as they ran about. Sounds of nature. His stomach had rumbled many times as he had seen a sparrow on a branch or a hare hop by and he had thought of seeking out something to eat to fill his stomach. It was good to hear the sound of another person, especially the sound of a laugh that was sincere. Niko said keeping his voice genial,“We would be more than happy to recruit you but first, I need you to show me your primal form Miss Caverly so I can be sure you are a Shifter and not something else. Once you do, you are free to step beyond this point into Shifter territory. I will accompany you beyond this point to our homes and from there, you can go to see Eden to announce your presence and then explore the lands however you wish. The Regina of the clan, Eden, is the leader of the Shifter clan here…” He paused, remembering her deceased mate. He would leave it up to Eden to speak of that. It wasn’t anything to do with him. He continued,"Now tell me, what skills or interests do you have that you can show me or speak of? I can give you a rank based on that.”

A small part of her wished to step forward and run her hand over his tawny brown pelt. She wanted to feel the soft fur under his fingertips, but mostly because she never had a pet as long as she lived. She was never given the chance to pet a dog, cat, or any other animal besides a horse when she was extremely young. She couldn't even remember the feel of a creature besides maybe another human, but even that had been in quite a while since she had. At the thought, she was slightly curious of how he looked as a human and her head tilted as she examined his body, though for a different reason this time. She was aware that it was common that some primal forms might look pretty similar to their human form, though this was not always the case. She was quite aware that this would not help her too much in the long run, though she kept silent about her desire to know such a thing. It was not as if she had a right to know, anyways. It was obvious that they were both carefully watching each other, looking for either the same or different things. Nonetheless, she had nothing to hide and stood a little taller, hoping that was made clear. He also made a certain puff of air that caught her attention, causing a grin to creep onto her face within a brief moment. It was adorable, if she had to admit, but she quickly downsized it to just a soft smile. He introduced himself as well, and she leaned closer, ever so slightly listening to the growls that translated into words. "Epror Niko..." she whispered, testing the name on her tongue gently once he had gone silent. Then, she noticed his paw move. She tensed immediately, but realized he uncovered blueberries. Her brown eyes widened in surprise and watched as he pushed them closer to her. She slowly leaned forward, as to not make any sudden movements that would endanger her life, and her knees bent so her body moved closer to the ground. She reached out a tentative hand and picked up a single berry before standing up with the same, slow speed. She held it up to her face and twisted it in her fingers, careful to not apply pressure so it would break. Her smile was still true as she carefully looked at the round object. Yet another laugh escaped her throat and it was pure and wholehearted. It floated into the air, filling the sensitive ears of both the Shifters. She watched him thoughtfully, still awaiting the requirements and possible acceptance into their ranks. She leaned on the back of her heels, rocking back and forth slowly as she waited for the words that would tell her what she needed to know. The blueberry rolled between her index finger and thumb unconsciously as she remained silent.

And then the information came. He was friendly and cheerful as he spoke, clearly still happy. She nodded with every phrase, committing everything he said to memory. She was required to shift into primal form. That was easy enough. Everything was quite easy to do. She noticed the slight pause, though she did not know why. Her eyes narrowed out of thought, but she quickly nodded once he asked for her skills. "Well," she began, thinking deeply about what she could offer. "I have a lot of fighting skills. I was taught a while ago and they have come in handy in multiple scenarios. Despite these skills, I think loyalty might be one of my biggest virtues... I would be willing to die for the Shifters if I was accepted, and I swear that if you allow me to join, I will even learn anything I am able to become better at any rank I receive." She locked eyes with him, making sure all her ability was concentrated towards the look she gave him. Her optics were full of sincerity and she wanted him to know, without a doubt, that she was true. "Now for my primal form..." she murmured. She took a few steps back, glancing around to make sure she had enough room. She would rather not pummel her only way into a family, let alone a feline so nice. She gave him a short, curt nod before tensing her body and feeling the shift occur. It happened within seconds, and she was suddenly much larger in size, though a little shorter than she was as a human. She was an black shire horse. Her body was ebony and the hair around her hooves was white, as well as a stripe that went down the middle of her head. She tossed her head to the side, moving her shadowy hair out of her face. She looked down at the Persian leopard, keeping quite a distance so she did not seem threatening. She could easily stomp on the male with her large hooves and though it wouldn't kill him, it could cause her to earn a death sentence. She was powerful with her muscles and it allowed her strength, which was good for fighting. She had crushed a mans skull before, with ease. It was something she didn't enjoy thinking about quite often, though it had happened and was personally scarred into her memory. Despite wishing to block it out, it stayed clear in her mind, tickling it from the back and reminding her at the strangest of times. However, it had not been just one human. She had done it to many when attempting to escape the poachers, though mainly out of instinct. She desired to live and she had done it naturally. She dipped her head, attempting to forget about it and signal to the Epror that she had no words until he spoke, himself.

Niko did not mind being petted but at this moment, he did not want to be. Though he was essentially part animal he was also part human as a Shifter and the human side of him wasn’t wanting to engage as it did not feel like being petted to become a plaything. Well, not now anyway. The animal part of him would have enjoyed it, especially behind the ears. Perhaps she just had been around humans for too long and wished to be among animals again. She would soon be if she could show him she was what she said she was. As her head tilted again, examining him again he scratched his ear with a forepaw idly but kept his attention on her. Perhaps she was imagining what he looked like as a human. But no it wouldn’t help. He smiled slightly as she stood a little taller. Niko did not think she had anything to hide in the first place but he had to be sure. Some people pretended to be innocent but they were not. Some pretended to be genuine or have good intentions, only to drop the façade once they got what they wanted. But she wasn’t one of those people. Her intentions were clear from her words and matched with her behaviour. She wanted to join them. Perhaps it was so she could be with others that were like her, to seek out other Shifters and feel truly safe. Or she just needed protection. His tail flicked the air, wondering why she had started to grin for a moment then smile softly. Deciding it wasn’t important, he brushed it towards the back of the mind and watched her reaction to berries as she picked one up to twist it and roll it between her index finger and thumb for any strange movements or emotions. No, she was still smiling and laughing. At ease with herself. Acting the same way she had been so far. He looked at her as she began to shift, glad that she was doing so otherwise he would have had no choice but to turn her away because he trusted his senses but he needed to see her shift with his own eyes. She could have been with a Shifter and managed to get the scent from her or him.

He listened to what she had to say. She said she had been taught fighting skills that would come in handy in multiple scenarios and of loyalty and being willing to die for the Shifters if she was accepted, that she was willing to learn anything and was able to become better in any rank that she received. His mind was mulling over the options and it was going towards Bellator in that case, a fighter, as she already had the skills and could learn to be even better with time and training. Now he would see what animal she would shift into. Not only would it help aid in his decision to determine a rank for her but he was curious to see what she would transform into. Catching her eyes with his, he gave her a reassuring look. He believed her. Niko saw a mane appear, her body morph and change, growing larger but getting slightly shorter and a stripe appearing on her face. A horse? Niko thought. Yes, a horse. A Shire horse though he had only seen them in books or on TV. He had never seen one up close before. She was a fine horse with all the looks of a healthy mare. Of course, he was no stranger to a horse’s hooves. He had seen horses when he had been a cub in the mountains and he knew they were powerful creatures. The size and power of a horse was nothing to take lightly. And though he had never been kicked by a horse, he had seen a horse kicking someone once. It’d broken ribs and he wouldn’t have been surprised if it’d done more than that. Niko was not keen on having broken bones. But he would be able to defend himself. And he would immobilize her for attacking him. He knew she could try to trample him with her hooves but he had a jaw full of bone-crunching teeth and could drag her down and snap her front legs so she couldn’t run. Not that he wanted to but he had to do what he had to do if she was trying to hurt him. He couldn’t protect his clan if he was injured. And he couldn’t tolerate any threats even if she was a beauty. As she dipped her head towards him, he angled his head towards her at a downwards level. Just slightly so that he was still at eye level with her. His body was still relaxed showing he meant no harm. He had no doubts she would make a good fighter. He was satisfied.“Loyalty is an important virtue. Though it does not make me entirely happy that you would be willing to die that also makes you brave and is admirable and so it should be commended. You were willing to fight even now before you knew I wasn’t a threat. Due to this and your current abilities in human form as well as your capabilities to attack and fight in your primal form I will give you the rank of a fighter, a Bellator,”Niko said. He nodded towards her, his growl an octave deeper as it naturally became due to his tone becoming warmer and happier in light of accepting a new addition to their kin,“Welcome to the clan Bellator Anivea. I will accompany you past this point into safer territory and from there, all you have to do is walk straight until you come upon our homes.”

[You do not have to respond to this post if you do not wish to and you're free to post as you wish in the Shifter regions. Welcome]